Abstract
Catalysis science and engineering provide a powerful means to upgrade contaminated water to a quality level that matches its intended use, if operational constraints (ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, variable water quality) can be overcome with materials with improved properties. Wong will describe one catalytic system from his laboratory: nitrate hydrogenation to dinitrogen using In-supported Pd heterogeneous catalyst will be discussed, as a means to remove nitrate from water destructively. He will show how the reaction selectivity (e.g., N2, NH3, and N2H4) can be controlled by reaction conditions and metal composition and will describe how Pd nanoparticle shape can be a significant factor in activity and selectivity control. Finally, he plans to describe our collaborative efforts towards high-TRL implementation of this nitrate reduction chemistry.
About the Speaker
Dr. Michael S. Wong is Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. He holds the Tina and Sunit Patel Chair in Molecular Nanotechnology. He is the principal investigator of the Catalysis and Nanomaterials Laboratory which tackles technical energy and sustainability issues through chemical engineering and materials chemistry approaches. He is Research Thrust Leader and member of the Leadership Team in the NSF-funded NEWT (Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment) Engineering Research Center. He has received numerous honors over the years, including the MIT TR35 Young Innovator Award, the North American Catalysis Society/Southwest Catalysis Society Excellence in Applied Catalysis Award, the Southwest Region ACS Award, and Fellow of the American Chemical Society.
